Advantages

Disadvantages

The perfect moisturiser for men and women

I am often given body moisturisers and lotions as gifts and although I moisturise a few times a week I still seem to have a never ending supply of the stuff. I feel fairly certain this is something I will never have to buy myself as I already seem to have a life time supply and it's my birthday next month so no doubt I will increase my supply further. Once lotion in my ever expanding supply is the Botanics Moisturising Body Balm. I am a big fan of the Botanics range and have been lucky enough to receive this one of quite a few occasions.

- The Packaging -The packaging for the Botanics range is very clean and simple in appearance and this is no exception. The body balm comes in a clear plastic tube with a clear plastic cap lid. The lid is easy to open/close and doesn't leak any cream when not in use. The opening of the tube is quite small so it is easy to get a controlled amount. It is very easy to use the tube and in particular I like that it is see-through so it is easy to see how much cream is left. I usually prefer a pot so that it is possible to get every last bit of cream out but I have found these tubes are easy to cut open if you wish to be super economical with you cream. There a label on the tube which displays the brand Boots and the name of the product. The Botanics slogan 'The Power of Plants' is shown and it is labelled as containing active plant ingredients which are authenticated by Kew Royal Botanic Gardens. We are told the cream will 'lightly hydrate and soften skin' and that it contains Ginseng and Cocoa Butter. The label is white, black and green in colour and shows a plant in the background. There is no list of ingredients but I know that the Botanics range uses natural ingredients in their products. The overall appearance is clean, simple, natural and functional but yet there is something quite attractive about the packaging for this range. I really like that it is very unisex but still kind of stylish. I have bought items from this range as gifts for my husband. I find it is hard to find skin care items that are suitable for men that are neither too expensive nor cheap and tacky. Botanics suits this purpose perfectly.

- Applying the Cream -The cream is quite thick like a body butter rather than a lotion and it is cream in colour. It smells absolutely amazing. The cocoa butter provides a creamy sweet scent which would appeal to women but isn't so sweet that it would be too feminine for a man. This is complimented perfectly by the ginseng which adds a slightly more masculine kick. It is a totally unique scent and it is perfectly unisex. The cream rubs into my skin nicely leaving my skin feeling hydrated and soft. It doesn't leave my hands feeling too greasy and I don't feel the need to wash them after applying the cream.

- The Results -After using this cream all over my body a few times a week for a couple of weeks my skin feels great! My skin is smooth, tight, soft and feels very hydrated. It does everything I would expect from a body balm. The best bit is, even if I do say so myself, I smell so good! Using this after a summer holiday has helped me keep my tan a little longer and has prevented my skin from becoming dry and peeling. I haven't had any irritations from using this even on my legs after shaving. Overall I am very happy with the results.

- Price and Availability -This body balm is only available from Boots and is currently priced at £3.17 for 200mls which is such a good price you would be mad not to give it a try. It is also included in a 3 for 2 offer at the moment and you can collect Boots points too!

- Would I Recommend? -It probably doesn't come as much surprise to you that I would 100% recommend this body balm. It is a lovely body balm that works very well on my skin, smells divine, is perfect for men and women and is ridiculously cheap. If I ever run out of lotions and moisturisers this is what I will be buying.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Long lasting moisturisation from Botanics

Last Christmas I received a gift set of Boots Botanics products. Despite having been aware of and looked at the range, I had never tried anything from it, so I was looking forward to trying the various products. One of the things included in the set was Body Balm, a 50ml tube of body moisturiser.

Before I even tried the Body Balm, I had an inkling that it wouldn't a be lotion, that it would be thicker. I prefer thicker body moisturisers, like body butters, to the more liquid lotions - I find them more effective and also nicer to apply. I was right about the Botanics Body Balm, as it does have a considerably thicker texture than a body lotion. It is probably of a similar thickness to body butters, although it is hard to guage this as it comes out of a tube rather than a tub.

The Body Balm has a pleasant fragrance, although not one I would usually choose. I generally pick fruit or nut fragranced body products (I love the Body Shop range of body butters and matching products) but I do like the scent of the Botanics Body Balm. It's hard to identify, but I would describe it as somewhere between herbal and spicy - it reminds me of the kind of fragrance you might get from an essential oil.

Because it is a thick product, I like applying the Body Balm. I generally use it on my legs, and my arms when they are a bit dry, particularly my elbows. I find that I always need more than I expect to use; I tend to be wary about how much body moisturiser I take as I hate ending up with too much, so I always end up with not enough of the Body Balm on the first squeeze of the tube. It absorbs into my skin quite well, but I don't find that it softens when warmed on skin as my usual Body Shop butter does, which is why I need more than I expect. With the Body Shop butter, I take a small amount from the tub which is fairly soild, and then it softens up very quickly when applied to my skin, but the same doesn't happen with the Botanics Body Balm.

It is however a very good body moisturiser. Once I have applied it, it doesn't leave a sticky or greasy film, but leaves my skin feeling very smooth and soft. The moisturising effect also lasts for quite some time; my skin usually still feels freshly moisturised when I wash it off in the shower the following day. This is particularly welcome in winter when my skin can dry out quite quickly, but using the Body Balm ensured that my skin stayed soft.

I am very impressed with the Botanics Body Balm - it is the best product out of the set I received (which included body wash and body polish). I still use my collection of Body Shop butters though, and generally I base my choice on what type of fragrance I'm in the mood for (mango a lot at the moment as it makes me feel summery!). Although I use more than I expect of the Body Balm, the small 50ml tube has lasted a while, and I've still got close to half the tube left after six months of regular use. Once it's finished I may well choose to buy more, as it is a good moisturiser and it makes a nice change to my body butters.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

A gem of a product

This product has become my favourite body moisturiser. I generally like the Botanics range as I enjoy using products with natural ingredients. This contains ginseng as an anti-oxidant to protect the skin and cococa butter to thoroughly moisturise. The balm is not as thick as a body butter, but it is firmer than some watery lotions. I find the texture and consistency fine. It sinks into the skin extremely quickly - almost immediately in fact - and this is one of the best things about the product in my opinion. It gets under the skin and doesn't leave any residue, grease or tackiness so you can immediately get dressed after using it. It leaves skin feeling soft, moisturised and fresh.

The smell of this product is lovely. It smells fresh and natural. I couldn't put my finger on what it smells of but maybe it is ginseng as I don't know what that smells like. The scent is subtle but it does linger. I occasionally found that I could still smell it in my bedroom when I came back in after a few hours!

I used up a 200 ml tube in about six weeks when using it very generously every morning and night. I was pleased to find such a good product at a reasonable price so I was happy to use as much as I wanted and did not feel like I was wasting it. The moisturiser is priced at £3.49 in Boots for a 200 ml tube and is currently part of the 3 for 2 mix and match deal. I often spend more on Body Shop body butters or other higher end products, but this product is really just as good. It will be one of my staples now, with other moisturisers occasionally used as a treat so I don't get bored.

The packaging is simple but attractive. You can tell by looking that it is natural and it has the usual distinctive Botanics branding and is easy to find in any Boots store. I like that it comes in a squeezable tube as you can cut it open to scrape the last bits of product out so you don't waste any. I prefer this tube to a pot as you don't need to scrape it out and get it under your nails.

I really enjoy using this moisturiser.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

A great product - highly recommended! :)

Boots Botanics Body Balm

I have had this for ages and I have been using it on and off for a while, as I have lots of body moisturisers to use up. I love products that are made with natural ingredients (probably one other reason to shop at lush!) and this is a really great and also cheap products that I really like.

I have tried so many moisturisers and this is one of my favorites so far. It contains:

*ginseng - which has been used as a tonic for hundreds of years and the plant has a number of benefits. It also contains lots of antioxidants with gives the skin protection against skin damage.

*Cocoa butter - which is a really good moisturiser

One of the main reasons that I like this product (apart from the fact that it contains some natural ingredients) as it absorbs almost instantly! Some lotions I have used either don't absorb well, or absorb well but still leave my skin dry. But this one does not, it absorbs quickly and it leaves my skin feeling very smooth, soft, supple and lightly hydrated.

It also smells so nice, even when it is in the bottle I can still smell the product. It is a kind of warm floral scent which is really nice and it stays on my skin for ages too, so I can still smell it all day.

Overall, it absorbs very quickly but leaves my skin more hydrated, smoother and softer. It leaves behind a really nice, summery light floral scent as it contains some natural ingredients, but it is not made completely with natural ingredients.

I bought it ages ago and I still have loads left and I use it quite often. I bought it from boots and it is currently priced at £2.99 for 200ml, which is really quite cheap.